Infy leadership institute head quits

Matthew R Barney, vice-president and head of Infosys Leadership Institute (ILI), has quit, ending his four-year association with the Bangalore-based company.

"We do not comment on the appointments or resignations of executives, other than the board of executive council members," the company said.

According to sources, Barney, a US citizen, was keen to go back to the US, where he has started a leadership-building consulting company, Leaderamp.

Leaderamp's website describes Barney as a former vice-president and head of Infosys Leadership Institute.

"Matt Barney is the founder & chief executive of Leaderamp," read his profile on the site. "He was inspired by working with the founders of Infosys, including Narayana Murthy, ranked 10 on CNN/Fortune's list of the '12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time'," the site said.

A brainchild of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, Infosys Leadership Institute was founded in early 2001, with the aim of creating an advisory body that would take strategic decisions about the company. It is perhaps the only such institute in the country that has devised leadership training tailored to the requirements of the candidates. The modules are based on the teaching of Robert Cialdini, Regents' professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University.

Barney who joined Infosys in January 2009 was responsible for identifying and grooming the future leaders of the company who will be instrumental in steering the company in its next phase of growth, especially after the exit of the co-founders.

According to sources, the company is in the process of finding a successor to Barney.